Independent modulation in full polarization multichannel wavefronts by spin-decoupled metasurface

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Electromagnetics
• Materials Science

Background:

• Spectrum scarcity and increasing data demands necessitate advanced communication technologies.
• Metasurfaces offer a promising route for manipulating electromagnetic waves, including polarization.
• Current methods often face limitations in independently controlling multiple polarization states.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a novel metasurface design for independent control of multi-polarization wavefronts.
• To overcome the limitations of spin-locking in polarization control.
• To enhance channel capacity and spectrum utilization in communication systems.

Main Methods:

• Combining propagation phase and Pancharatnam-Berry (PB) phase for polarization control.
• Designing a spin-decoupled single-layer metasurface using polarization conversion units.
• Tailoring cross-polarized components for full polarization multichannel wavefront control.

Main Results:

• Achieved independent control of linearly and circularly polarized vortex beams across distinct polarization channels.
• Demonstrated simultaneous and independent modulation of topological charges and beam deflection angles.
• Verified theoretical design through experimental validation.

Conclusions:

• The proposed metasurface design offers a significant advancement in multichannel wavefront control.
• This approach reduces design complexity while improving information capability and communication efficiency.
• Potential applications include polarization multiplexing and super-resolution imaging in microwave and optical systems.